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1 – 10 of 413Julia Backmann, Matthias Weiss and Gisa Todt
Setbacks and failures are part of organizational life. While a recent body of literature pointed to the importance of recovery, resilience, and learning from failure in responding…
Abstract
Setbacks and failures are part of organizational life. While a recent body of literature pointed to the importance of recovery, resilience, and learning from failure in responding to and dealing with setback events, the setback itself and its underlying dimensions remain underexplored. However, how severe employees perceive a setback to be plays an integral role in how successfully they handle these events. Taking an event-oriented perspective on work-related setbacks, this study defines setback severity as the setback event’s novelty, disruptiveness, and criticality. Based on the current literature and prior operationalizations, the authors introduce and validate a three-dimensional measure of setback severity. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses provide support for the proposed three-dimensional model. Further analyses show that disruptiveness and criticality are significantly related to identity threat, emotional exhaustion, trauma, turnover intention, and thriving, while novelty is only related to turnover intention and thriving. The implications of the setback severity measure are discussed along with recommendations for future research.
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Joseph Kangwa and Femi Olubodun
This paper sets out to explore and detect underlying causes to increasing uncertainty and lack of transparency in the home maintenance sector. The study gives an account of…
Abstract
This paper sets out to explore and detect underlying causes to increasing uncertainty and lack of transparency in the home maintenance sector. The study gives an account of owner‐occupiers' experience on the standards of work they encounter with small‐scale domestic traders. Part I, in a previous issue, focused on the consensus ranking of 13 building maintenance standards or attributes that owner‐occupiers expect from builders (Xbmas) while part II focuses on the contrast between expectations and the actual maintenance setbacks observed from builders (Obmas) and which are a source of displeasure among owner‐occupiers. The application of nonparametric statistical techniques enabled the study to detect consensus on what defines expectations and how these differ from observed standards. An understanding of this disparity could be essential information for existing builders, new entrants into the home maintenance sector and inform housing regeneration professionals and agencies involved in the architecture and management of schemes for small‐scale builders.
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Donghun Seo, Sunghyuck Mah, Sophia Miri Yoo, Minju Oh, Byung-Im Kim, Jeong-Yeon Lee and Seokhwa Yun
Based on the transactional theory of stress and coping, this study aims to understand the daily impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on employee goal progress. In…
Abstract
Purpose
Based on the transactional theory of stress and coping, this study aims to understand the daily impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on employee goal progress. In particular, the authors explore how COVID-19 induces anxiety related to task setbacks that consequently influences one's goal progress.
Design/methodology/approach
A daily diary study was conducted with a total of 558 observations from 60 participants. The data were analyzed using multilevel path analysis with random slopes.
Findings
The perceived risk of COVID-19 infection was positively associated with COVID-19 task setback anxiety, which in turn improved end-of-day goal progress. Lower employee conscientiousness strengthened the relationship between perceived risk of COVID-19 infection and COVID-19 task setback anxiety, and lower supervisor bottom-line mentality strengthened the relationship between COVID-19 task setback anxiety and end-of-day goal progress.
Practical implications
Although COVID-19 task setback anxiety results in higher end-of-day goal progress, the authors recommend caution as the cost of coping exists. Thus, supervisors should focus on supporting the employees rather than having a bottom-line mentality.
Originality/value
This study advances stress and coping literature by examining how employees appraise and cope with COVID-19 in work context. The authors demonstrate that a perceived risk of COVID-19 induces task setbacks related to anticipatory anxiety, which in turn influences employee outcomes. In addition, the authors identify employee conscientiousness and supervisor bottom-line mentality as a boundary condition of this process.
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The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) counter numerous financial obstacles concerning business financing and cash flow management. The study, therefore, intends to…
Abstract
Purpose
The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) counter numerous financial obstacles concerning business financing and cash flow management. The study, therefore, intends to examine the level of perceived severity of financial constraints on the business growth of enterprises, in terms of sales, profitability and asset growth. An attempt is made to study the influence of owner and firm attributes as the determinants of financial constraints faced by MSMEs.
Design/methodology/approach
The data were collected from MSME owners of Northern India through a self-administered questionnaire. In total, 213 responses were analysed using partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique through SmartPLSv2.
Findings
The findings advocate the role of owner and firm attributes in the severity of financial constraints experienced by the MSME owners. Most importantly, the study establishes a strong link between owner and firm attributes and cash flow constraints. Further, the paper confirms the negative influence of financing and cash flow problems on the growth of the firm.
Research limitations/implications
The evaluation and categorisation of perceived financial challenges into meaningful dimensions generate value to the problematic area of MSME operations. Thus, the findings are useful for the policymakers and researchers to contemplate the financial vulnerability of MSMEs.
Originality/value
The empirical findings of the present study add worth to the limited evidence of the relationship between owner and firm attributes and severity of cash flow constraints faced by the Indian MSME owners.
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Anna Darmani and Payam Hanafizadeh
In today's societies, work environment and customers' expectations change on a daily manner. Consequently, it is crucial for companies to find a way for adapting themselves to new…
Abstract
Purpose
In today's societies, work environment and customers' expectations change on a daily manner. Consequently, it is crucial for companies to find a way for adapting themselves to new requirements. For this purpose, reengineering projects have been introduced and evolved in different companies with different responsibilities over the past decades. However, the risk associated with these projects is inevitable and is a huge obstacle on the way of their implementation. This study, in line with previous studies, contributed in this context by proposing a new methodology for selecting suitable processes and adopted best practices candidate for business process reengineering (BPR). The proposed methodology aims to achieve lower risk and higher probability of success for BPR projects.
Design/methodology/approach
This objective is achieved by integration of the concept of portfolio selection problems (PSP) into the organizational decision making concerning BPR project. A model for selection of most appropriate reengineering scenarios, which is a combination of processes and best practices, is adopted and proposed. This model by putting additional constraints on risks associated with a BPR project and increasing its return identifies the most prosperous portfolio of scenarios for a reengineering project. The proposed model is tested step-by-step through a case study in order to validate its outcome and justify its practicality.
Findings
In this paper, a new methodology is proposed containing a model as a managerial tool for conducting more successful reengineering projects. The applicability of the methodology is tested in one of the largest metallurgical laboratory and research centers of Iran. Four strategic processes were selected and several best practices customized, after screening all processes of the case study. Accordingly, in total, 15 different scenarios were explored for the reengineering project in which four of them identified by the model as the processes with the highest possibility of success through the BPR project.
Originality/value
This methodology suggests a novel way to benefit from PSP for process selection problems by putting additional control on implementation risk of reengineering project. While the urge of using reengineering project exists within the current companies, the high level of risk of these projects is considered as a huge obstacle in conducting this project. This study, by proposing a new method, aims to address this issue as well as point to the practicality of integrating PSP model in organizational contexts.
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To overview the gamut of issues that on-street parking impacts in mixed-use centers including: parking demand, land use, vehicle speed, road safety, the pedestrian environment…
Abstract
Purpose
To overview the gamut of issues that on-street parking impacts in mixed-use centers including: parking demand, land use, vehicle speed, road safety, the pedestrian environment, and travel behaviors.
Methodology/approach
In addition to reviewing existing literature, the following two case studies are presented. The first study explores the impact in centers built before the advent of parking regulations as compared to more contemporary, conventional developments. The second study investigates how street design factors affected vehicle speeds and safety, based on a study of over 250 roads.
Findings
On-street parking typically: serves the highest demand; is efficient in terms of land use and cost; induces lower vehicle speeds; increases safety on low-speed streets; enhances walkability; and fosters less driving, more pedestrian activity, and increased vitality.
Practical implications
On-street parking is one piece of a larger puzzle of complementary factors that influence issues such as travel behavior and safety, and therefore, it is difficult to isolate. On-street parking plays a crucial role in helping create places that are walkable, require less parking, and have more vitality. On-street parking is not purely a device to be used in the right environment; rather, it is a tool to help create that right environment.
Originality/value of chapter
Prevailing thought on the subject of on-street parking has shifted back-and-forth for generations, in part because most studies focus on one or two impacts. This chapter takes a more comprehensive approach in order to increase our understanding of on-street parking in mixed-use, commercial centers.
Michael Nii Addy, Stephen Akunyumu and Barbara Simons
Sustained access to efficient electricity plays an essential role in improving living conditions of people and contributes to the economic development of the nation as a whole…
Abstract
Purpose
Sustained access to efficient electricity plays an essential role in improving living conditions of people and contributes to the economic development of the nation as a whole. Volta River Authority (VRA) mainly manages the generation plants (hydropower sources and thermal plants) alongside independent power producers (IPPs). Power generation in the country has been influenced by myriads of factors. Thus, the purpose of this study is to assess the key risk factors affecting renewable energy of IPPs set-up project in Ghana.
Design/methodology/approach
Quantitative approach was adopted for the study. Empirical investigation was carried out using the survey approach. The likelihood of occurrence of the risk and the degree of impact of same motivated the use of risk significance index to analyze the data and make deductions from the results.
Findings
From the study, three key risk factors have high level of severity, which include long and complex procedures for authorization of project activities, stability of the policy environment and ease of obtaining rights to land. These risks could be found in the business/strategic risks and policy/regulatory risks categories, respectively. A total of 25 key risk factors had moderate level of severity and 12 key risk factors have low level of severity on renewable energy IPP set up projects.
Practical implications
Top-ranked risk factors require maximum attention. The identified risks should be alleviated with strategies to reduce levels of severity by targeting either the likelihood of occurrence or the level of impact. This will serve as a catalyze to promoting renewable energy IPP set-up projects in Ghana.
Originality/value
Key contribution of the paper to the body of knowledge is demonstrated by the empirical evidence of the risks IPPs are likely to encounter in setting up renewable energy plants in Ghana. The distinctive attribute of this study is further demonstrated by the fact that it focused on the set-up stage, which is a critical stage in the renewable energy provision value chain.
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The tactical and strategic plans of most business organizations have been dealt severe setbacks by the recent recession. Many forecasters did not anticipate that the…
Abstract
The tactical and strategic plans of most business organizations have been dealt severe setbacks by the recent recession. Many forecasters did not anticipate that the Administration's fiscal program would create a crisis of near‐term economic difficulties. Only a few predicted the persistence of high interest rates and the prolonged decline in business activity, and the present economic crunch caught most corporations by surprise. As a result, management attention is now focused on the immediate financial problems caused by disastrously low sales, excessive borrowing costs, and price cutting, and not on tactical or strategic planning.